


What If I Stay

by CoffeePillow



Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: AU, Angst, F/M, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-28
Updated: 2016-05-28
Packaged: 2018-07-10 16:12:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,922
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6994033
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CoffeePillow/pseuds/CoffeePillow
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“Danger always finds us huh?” Harrison quipped, running with Caitlin. </p><p>“Shut up and let's get in this room.”</p>
            </blockquote>





	What If I Stay

**Author's Note:**

> My friend Maleficent265 beta'd for me with this one and I wanna thank her with a thousand roses. Snowells Squad RISE!!

The two most broken people in STAR Labs were Harrison Wells and Caitlin Snow. A lot has happened for the last several months. Jay Garrick, or Hunter Zolomon, betrayed the team, destroying Earth-2 leaving it in cinders. Zoom came back to Earth-1 leaving pain and ruined buildings in his death.

 

The people of Central City were rebuilding once again.

 

Harrison called Earth-1 his home to his daughter. It was home. It felt like it. It had to. He left everything from Earth-2 behind him, as much as it kept him up at nights. He still hears gunshots, men screaming in pain, broken bodies he had to step over during the war he fought, the war he fought for his world, the world he left… 

 

“Dad?” Jesse walked over to Harrison at his desk in their makeshift room. “Are you alright?” She noticed her father fidgeted with his hands, grabbing any object like a pen, a piece of paper to calm himself down. Anxiety riddled him, and it worried her.

 

Harrison made a small smile, trying to keep his composure in front of his daughter. “I’m fine. I just need… to think. Jotting down a few more things to look over. He made an excuse like he normally did whenever he wanted to be left alone. 

 

“You can't shut me out, Dad. You can't keep doing this, you're gonna keep hurting yourself!” 

 

“Jesse. I need time.”

 

Jesse crossed her arms, “I'm worried about you, Dad. Dr. Snow is worried too. You never sleep anymore.” 

 

“Snow is worried about me?” Harrison stopped fiddling with the pen, turning to look at Jesse. “Since when did she care?”

 

Jesse scoffed, “She’s always cared about you.” and with that, Jesse left the room. Leaving Harrison in his thoughts.

 

-

Caitlin put on her white lab coat and started experimenting. Researching and experimenting always made her feel safe…  _ home _ . STAR Labs made her feel like she had a home, having a family, everything she always wanted. It was here. 

 

“Dr. Snow?” Jesse approached her.

 

“Yes?” Caitlin turned around, her smile bright.

 

“I think my dad is losing himself.” Jesse moved closer, getting a chair to sit next to Caitlin. “He is pushing me away. He won't listen. I'm trying to help him and he just… won’t.”

 

“You want me to talk to your dad?” 

 

“Well, if it can help him then yeah.” Jesse smiled back, “My dad is one of the strongest people I know, honest, and good. I think you talking to him will probably help-you guys are similar from what I observed.”

 

Caitlin put her experiment away and walked out of the small room, telling Jesse she was going to talk to Harrison. 

 

-

 

Things were off kilter between Harrison and Caitlin. After everything that happened with Zoom, they started becoming more distant. They were both affected by the betrayal the most. Harrison thought he knew Jay… Hunter or whoever that man was. He kept quiet about it - those emotions because he didn’t want to let himself focus on that deception when Jesse would have been at the forefront of his mind. Caitlin felt like someone grabbed her heart, twisting, and pulling it away from her. Hunter made Caitlin watch as he killed people. The horror was  still fresh.

 

Harrison turned around when he felt a hand on his shoulder. “What do you want.” he said bitterly, moving away as he went to fold his laundry. 

 

“I wanted to see you. See how things were holding up.” Caitlin said, clenching her fist, “you didn't have be rude.”

 

“Ya know, Snow, I don't really care.” He threw his laundry on his bed. He walked back towards her, “after everything that has happened. I don't really care anymore. You’re asking me if I am okay? Why? Why do you care? Go bother someone that actually gives a damn.” 

 

Caitlin stood her ground, “I care about you!” she threw her hands up, “You say you don't give a crap, but you do. I see through it, Dr. Wells, I see through your shit.” That must have struck something inside Harrison because he looked like he was going through conflicted crisis. “I came to you when you needed it. When no one was there for you, and now you are pushing me away.” She tucked her hands inside her white lab coat. “I thought we understood that about each other. How we just… conceal everything. I guess I do it better than you.” She sneered backing away before she felt a hand stop her.

 

“Snow, wait. I'm sorry.” he told her. “I was being a dick.” he heard her laugh. “I didn't know you cared about me that much… I didn't know.”

 

“Just know that somewhere out there understands. Stop hurting those who want to help you.” 

 

-

 

Several months passed. Everything started to be normal again. Team Flash was once again a team. They felt like a family after what they had gone through. Harrison and Caitlin grew closer and bonded a lot more. People were starting to talk.

 

“Dr. Wells?” Caitlin called him through his office. “Can we talk?” She walked in anyways, noticing that Harrison was not listening. So she wrapped her arms around his middle from his back. 

 

“Uh-oh. Hi.” He cleared his throat, capping his marker away. “Sorry I was lost in my thoughts.”

 

Caitlin snuggled her head into his back, “I know.” her voice sounded like it was cracking; Harrison noticed this and turned around, her arms still wrapped around him.

 

“Are you okay?’ 

 

“No.” Now she snuggled against his chest, holding onto him tighter. He felt so warm against her and she didn't want to let go.

 

“If this is about the other night… I get it… we don't have to…”

 

She looked up at him, “No, it’s fine. We can go on that date. It has been a while for me.”

 

“Snow…”

 

“You keep calling me that.”

 

“Uh… right… Caitlin. “ He corrected himself. “You did call me Dr. Wells.” he smiled at her, letting his hand fall onto her head and cupping it gently. 

 

He noticed her sad, broken smile and he wanted nothing more than to remove that part from her. to fix it, to make her better, to make her more open to him but she was closing herself and it scared him. 

-

 

Harrison and Caitlin held hands for the first time and it wasn't by a romantic walk on a beach or a evening out but by them holding onto each other from a meta human attack in STAR Labs. 

 

“Danger always finds us huh?” Harrison quipped, running with Caitlin. 

 

“Shut up and let's get in this room.”

 

They made haste as they went inside the secret room that Eobard Thawne had. What a man cave this was.

 

“You're sure he won't get in here?” Caitlin asked, looking around. 

 

“Unless he can phase through walls, then no.”

 

“You don't have to be a smartass.”

 

Harrison shrugged, placing his hands around the wall. “What meta is this exactly. Did you read the report?”

 

“Something that had to do with metal bending? That's all I know.” Caitlin crossed her arms, noting she didn’t bring her jacket, it was chilly inside this man cave.

 

“Terrific.” Harrison rolled his eyes. 

 

“Look we wouldn't be in this mess if the other Wells didn't sabotage the particle accelerator. Our lives would be so different.” She whispered hotly, losing her self control. She walked around the room, checking to see if the bumps on the wall had any clues. “What the hell did Eobard need this for?”

 

Harrison looked around the room, “Well he certainly copied me for sure. I have the same room in my earth. Bumps and all.”

 

“Anything I should be worried about?” she asked.

 

“Nope.”

 

Caitlin walked towards him, arms still crossed. He looked tired, very tired. 

 

“You're not sleeping again.” She said, her voice low, and she knew Harrison could hear her. “You don't have to take all of that burden. None of this wasn't your fault.”

 

Harrison sighed deeply, clearly uncomfortable with what Caitlin was saying. 

 

“You're cold. Take my coat.” He pulled his black coat away from him. He saw her shake her head, “take the coat, Snow.”

 

“Not until you tell me why you're not sleeping.”

 

“You know why.” After he realized how he sounded, he frowned. “Sorry… I didn't mean to… just take the coat. I'm not cold. You are.” This time he threw the coat at her.

 

“We are defenseless in here. What if that Metahuman bends your gun. How will we beat him?” She threw her hands up, “I mean does Barry know? Cisco? Anyone?” she put her arms in the jacket, feeling content as Harrison previously wore it.

 

“Whoever it is. They won't come in.”

 

“You're so sure of yourself.”

 

“When have I ever been wrong?” Harrison asked.

 

Caitlin scoffed, “We need to figure this out.”

 

Harrison and Caitlin were still confined in this small, empty room and it made Caitlin more cranky. 

 

“I'm getting tired and hungry.” She said out loud, “I mean… it’s like 3am.” she checked her watch. 

 

Harrison nodded, “When all of this is over we are getting some food and some much needed rest.” He sat down against the wall, sighing, “too much has happened.” 

 

-

Harrison and Caitlin both got out safely. Jesse ran into her father’s arms. Caitlin watched them  embrace and smiled. 

 

“Don’t ever leave me again.” Jesse said, holding onto her father.    
  


“I never left.” Harrison replied quietly, gently squeezing her. He held his head up and saw Caitlin. She had tears in her eyes.

 

“Snow, are you alright?” He asked.

 

“I’m fine. I’m just happy that we’re all okay.” she wringed her hands together and walked towards Harrison and Jesse. “I’m guessing we are all hungry. Let’s go get some food.”

 

-

 

“Do you think our relationship is long term?” Caitlin asked, helping fold laundry with Harrison. “I mean… like… I don’t know when you’re gonna leave for Earth-2 again.” 

 

Harrison bit his bottom lip, “Are you worried I’m going to leave you?” He asked, sitting down on his bed, watching Caitlin fold clothes next to him. 

 

Caitlin sighed, “It’s just odd you know? The both us. Our circumstances… everything that has happened. What if one of us doesn’t make it. I want you to stay.” 

 

He watched her again, seeing the tears form in her eyes again, he took a shaky breath. He had already made his decision. “I have no intention of leaving you, Caitlin.” he said, “I came here for a reason and that was to find my daughter’s whereabouts. After that…” he paused, “I met the team. What a rollercoaster that was in the beginning.” he took a moment to stand up in front of Caitlin. “Then I met you.” he saw her face light up, she smiled a little. “I have a reason to be here. With you.”

 

Caitlin was frozen, she felt a chill go up her spine, “You have no idea what that means to me.” she said her voice breaking, “I’m sorry I had to question you.”

 

Harrison intertwined his fingers into hers, “It’s okay. I’m not offended. I…” he paused again, “I want you.” he said, cupping Caitlin’s cheek, “I need you.”

  
Caitlin did not take a moment to kiss him. Her hands cupped the sides of his face, eyes closed, feeling the sensation run through her body. He makes her feel whole, happy, and  _ home.  _ This is all she’s ever needed; someone to be there for her, and stay.


End file.
